Chai Tea Creme Brulee (Low Carb and Gluten Free)

We put our Christmas tree out on the curb the week after Christmas and it’s still sitting there. And do you know why? Because it snowed a few days later and hasn’t stopped, and now our tree and many others are buried under several feet of snow and ice. Like woolly mammoths in glaciers, they are encased in an icy shell, waiting for the world to warm up enough so that they can be exposed. We are up to our necks in snow, quite literally, and there is no end in sight. This has been the most ridiculous winter and for the first time in eight years, I am questioning my decision to move away from Arizona.

Last week I was quickly approaching the breaking point. I was exhausted, I had a very bad head cold, and I was out at the end of my driveway with a steel garden shovel, breaking up a mound of slush-turned-pure-ice kindly left at there by the town snow plows. I was out there in my pajamas, rushing so I could get the kids to school on time, cursing the skies all the while, and I knew I needed to channel this energy into something delicious. Something sweet, that would conjure up images of warm climates and palm trees swaying in the breeze. Something with exotic spices, that would take me far, far away from this frozen hell at the first bite.

Chai tea is such a gorgeous invention. The combination of cardamom, cinnamon and ginger with a sweetened black tea is nothing short of brilliant. I’ve recently seen some cupcakes and other desserts flavoured with chai spices, and it got me thinking about how to incorporate them into something low carb. Custards and puddings are easy to make low carb because they require no flour or flour substitutes. And one of my favourite desserts of all time is creme brulee. As fancy as it seems, it’s remarkably easy to make, particularly if you have one of the small kitchen butane torches to caramelize the topping. I was given one a few years ago and haven’t used it much, and this was my chance to put it to work. I infused the cream with black tea and chai spices, and away we went.

The Results: Chai tea and creme brulee are a match made in heaven. Honestly, why have I never put these two together before? Creme brulee is always a wonderful treat and can be flavoured in so many ways. And I was impressed with how the erythritol worked as a topping in place of sugar. It didn’t get quite as hard as a burnt sugar topping would, but it caramelized nicely and gave that satisfying bit of crunch to every bit.

Heat cream, tea, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves in a small saucepan over medium low heat, until steam rises. Remove from heat, cover the pan and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove all solids and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of erythritol together until thickened and pale yellow. Add cream very slowly, stirring continuously. Add vanilla and stevia extracts.

Divide custard between 6 small ramekins (or a single one-quart ceramic or glass baking dish). Set into a larger baking pan and pour hot water to within 1-inch from top of ramekins or baking dish.

Bake until the custard is just set but still slightly wobbly in the middle, 40-45 minutes. Remove baking pan from the oven and let cool. Then wrap each ramekin tightly in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.

Just before serving, divide remaining erythritol between ramekins, sprinkling across the top evenly. Heat with a kitchen torch until it bubbles and browns. Let sit for a few minutes to allow topping to harden. You can also brown the topping under your broiler, watching very carefully and turning the cups to ensure even browning.

Serves 6. Each serving has a total of 7.7g of carbs, but only 1.7g if you subtract erythritol.

"…at the end of my driveway with a steel garden shovel, breaking up a mound of slush-turned-pure-ice…" I left Chicago just for this reason (and a few others related to wind and cold). Thank you for re-affirming my decision.

Your creme brulee is exceptional. I love the ingredients, the execution and the final result. Wow, I want some. Cardamom in anything makes it better.

My e-mail is themomchef (at) mail.com. Thanks for the coupons (and continuing to remember when I forget)!

Yeah, why have I never thought of putting chai tea together with creme brulee? I love them both! I should try this. And thanks for reminding me why, if I really have to live in the US, that place has to be California…no snow in the Bay Are and I am so happy about that!

Man, I do not envy the snow pounding you all are receiving over there! I can not believe your Tree is still there. We got a lot of snow around Christmas time and that was pretty much the end of it. We've have dreary rain and sunshine mix since then, though.

I have not yet tried Creme Brulee but it's high up on my list! Yours look effortless, comforting and delicious! It gives me an extra push to make it already! Hehe. I hope the snow calms down a bit!

I remember the first time I ever cracked the top of my creme brulee. I had travelled overseas with my dad and the creaminess and gentle flavour of vanilla filled my entire head. I like that you used chai, it kind of winterized a dessert I so often think of as a summer dessert. Absolutely lovely!

Ive never had creme brulee before but last week I almost tackled it due to a ton of leftover yolks. I didn't get to it but now Im kind of glad I because finding this really makes me want to try it. It looks delicious. I just recently discovered chai tea recently too. Mmm

this sounds like the perfect dessert to dig into to get away from the cold and snow…

i'm interested in learning more about baking for diabetics as my mom is one and i always feel bad that she can't indulge in a dessert that i bring to share. thank you for sharing these recipes, i will be sure to try them soon!

You know, I have given little brulee torches to several people in my famil . . you'd think they might have gotten the hint. I know I can go to the garage and get my husband's, but I don't. You've inspired me to! These look great! (And it has been one hellacious winter!)

Tigerpaws – I am not sure how well Truvia would work. It does have erythritol in it, but it also has stevia and I don't know how stevia reacts to heat. You could always try one, and then scrape off the topping if it didn't pan out!

It may, seemingly, but in reality it does not. Because the carbs in erythritol are non-effective. They never enter the blood stream and get excreted whole into the urine without ever registering an insulin response. I test my blood sugar because of pre-diabetes and Swerve barely registers on my glucometer.

I am Carolyn, a writer, runner, mother and diabetic. I am also the evil mastermind behind this blog. I live for food. Join me in my experiments in creating delicious low carb, gluten free recipes. Read more

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Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.
I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using Mastercook software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them.
I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.